Many philosophical novels have no well-developed characters because the authors use them as emblems of the various ideas and concepts being explored. To a degree, Night of Light is such a novel. Only the protagonist, John Carmody, is complex and interesting; the secondary characters are strictly emblematic and often have names symbolic of their function in Farmer's moral allegory.

"Boonta," for example, contains the word "boon," meaning "benefit" or "blessing," indicating the goddess's role as a benevolent creator. Her "good" son is named "Yess," and Carmody's two wives, both innocent victims, are named "Mary" and "Anna," respectively. The symbolism of "Mary" is obvious; "Anna" is derived from the Hebrew "Hannah," meaning "grace," and in the Christian tradition, Anna is Mary's mother—the grandmother of Christ. John Carmody also has a symbolic name, with his initials suggesting that he is a redeemer figure.

His first name indicates that...